Fillmore — Signage

Last reviewed: July 2, 2026

Overview

This page summarizes the City of Fillmore's local sign rules found in the zoning ordinance (Title 6, “Sign standards” and related subsections). It explains what signs are allowed by district, the technical limits (area, height, setbacks, illumination), special rules for digital signs, and common procedural checkpoints. All standards below are drawn from the Fillmore sign standards in § 6.04.38 and the related subsections (see Source References).

Before you design or fabricate a sign, confirm development and site-level constraints such as setbacks and parking requirements, and whether the property sits inside an overlay or historic area that imposes extra review. For site-level development constraints see the city’s pages on zoning & planning overview, zoning, development standards, parking, design review, overlay districts, and historic preservation.

Key rules and where to find them (short)

• Purpose and scope: § 6.04.3801 establishes the purpose of the sign rules and the policy goals (public safety, aesthetics, compatibility).
• General provisions (maintenance; how sign area and height are measured): § 6.04.3855.
• Digital/on‑premises electronic signs: § 6.04.3893 (controls brightness, animation, size, setbacks, timing).
• Sign regulations by zoning district and the Table III‑2 matrix: § 6.04.3895 and Exhibit/Table III‑2 (district-by-district permitted types, counts, sizes).
• Director authority to issue sign permits: § 6.04.0215(2) (community development director may grant sign permits).

District-by-district breakdown (what matters on most Fillmore parcels)

For each district subsection below I state the district purpose in plain English, the sign types typically permitted, and the principal dimensional/illumination limits pulled from the ordinance. Verify parcel-specific conditions and setbacks with the City before building.

Note: All district sign allowances are summarized from the Sign Regulations matrix in § 6.04.3895 (Table III‑2).

RPD (Residential)

• Purpose: residential neighborhoods; signs are limited to identification and informational functions. See § 6.04.3895 (RPD table).
• Typical permitted signs: name plates, apartment identification, institutional signs, mobile home park identification, temporary subdivision/real estate signs.
• Key dimensional standards you must follow:
  • Name plate: max 2 s.f. each, wall/door, below eave.
  • Apartment identification: max 10 s.f. each; monument signs limited to 6 ft high.
  • Temporary subdivision/construction/real estate signs: size and setbacks are specifically listed in the RPD table and refer to temporary‑sign rules in § 6.04.3830/§ 6.04.3820 (see table entries).

CBD (Central Business District)

• Purpose: downtown commercial core; more flexible pedestrian-oriented signage allowed but subject to design review. See § 6.04.3895 (CBD table).
• Typical permitted signs: wall, awning, projecting, window signs, some canopy/marquee signs.
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Building identification (first floor, dominant frontage): 12 s.f. (frontage <25 ft), 25 s.f. (<50 ft), **30 s.f.** (>50 ft). Letter height limit 10 in. (awning 5 in.).
  • Window signs limited to 25% of window area.
  • Many special exceptions and aesthetic rules (e.g., some animated or can/cabinet signs may be restricted in CBD) rely on design review; see the design review link.

CO (Commercial Office)

• Purpose: professional office centers; signage scaled to building frontage. See § 6.04.3895 (CO table).
• Typical permitted signs: wall and monument identification signs.
• Key dimensional standards:
  • Business identification (single‑tenant): 0.5 s.f. per lineal foot of building frontage, up to 50 s.f. max. Monument signs 6 ft high, typically 3 ft setback.

MPD / Industrial (including Commercial Highway frontage)

• Purpose: industrial/business park and highway‑oriented commercial along Hwy 126/Ventura St.; the ordinance recognizes a Commercial Highway designation with enhanced allowances for highway signage and a separate digital sign rule. See § 6.04.3893 and the MPD portions of § 6.04.3895.
• Typical permitted signs: large freestanding/facility identification, monument, wall signs, service station pricing signs.
• Key dimensional standards:
  • For single‑tenant highway sites: freestanding business identification sometimes allowed up to 70 s.f. per face and heights up to 25 ft depending on frontage; some Ventura Street sites have different max areas and heights (e.g., 25–40 s.f. area and 10–12 ft height tiers depending on street frontage). See the MPD/Commercial‑Highway table entries and § 6.04.3890 references in the matrix.
  • Service station pricing: wall signs limited to 10% of building face, not to exceed 30 s.f. per face; monument pricing signs 30 s.f. per face and usually 5 ft max height.

BP / Business Park

• Purpose: planned business parks and campuses; signs are controlled through a sign program. See § 6.04.3895 and the Business Park provisions.
• Typical permitted signs: project/center identification (monument), tenant identification per approved sign program.
• Key rules:
  • Business Park signage generally requires a development permit and a submitted sign program with dimensions and types; sign program must comply with the Fillmore Business Park Master Plan.

Table — Quick decision reference (selected, decision‑relevant limits)

What is prohibited (high‑value prohibitions)

The ordinance lists several prohibited or restricted sign types citywide under the sign standards; notable prohibitions and limits include:

• Off‑site billboards are generally prohibited except where the ordinance explicitly permits tourist/off‑site signs in limited circumstances (see the Ventura St./tourist sign rules).
• Animated, moving, flashing signs and most changeable/cabinet can signs are prohibited except where explicitly allowed (CBD exceptions and limited electronic/digital signs on the commercial highway under § 6.04.3893).
• Portable/A-frame signs, inflatable signs, vehicle signs used primarily as displays, roof signs (in most areas) and signs on public property are disallowed except where specifically listed. See the prohibited items list in the sign standards.

For municipal enforcement, maintenance requirements and measurement rules are in § 6.04.3855 (e.g., how to calculate sign area and height).

Digital sign (electronic message center) rules — highlights

• The City allows on‑premises digital signs in the commercial highway zoning district under § 6.04.3893; properties are limited to one digital sign depending on frontage and must combine with other freestanding signs on the same structure when both would otherwise be permitted.
• Brightness/animation/time limits: no animated messages, static images only; display content cannot change more than once every five seconds; automatic dimming required; 0.3 foot‑candles above ambient at nearest residential property line; digital signs must go dark 11:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m. daily.
• Digital signs are subject to the same setbacks and height limits as freestanding signs and to any design guidelines for the Commercial Highway designation. A development permit / planning commission review may be required with conditions.

Checklist — what an applicant must satisfy before installation

• Confirm the property zoning and applicable overlays (historic, Ventura St./Commercial Highway) and pull the district row in § 6.04.3895 (Table III‑2).
• Confirm sign type, sign area, height and setbacks match the district limits in § 6.04.3895.
• For digital/on‑premises electronic signs, meet § 6.04.3893 brightness, animation, and dimming requirements and submit a maintenance program.
• For Business Park properties, prepare and submit a sign program and obtain a development permit (per Business Park rules).
• Ensure sign area and height are measured per § 6.04.3855 and that the sign will be maintained in good repair.
• Obtain a sign permit from the Community Development Director (director authority to grant sign permits per § 6.04.0215(2)).
• Verify whether design review or Planning Commission review is required in the district (CBD and some conditional cases). See the City’s design review page.
• Confirm the sign will not create traffic or sight‑line hazards and complies with any specific Ventura Street or Hwy 126 design guidelines.

Risks & Ambiguities

Plain-English summary

Fillmore’s zoning ordinance sets district‑specific sign allowances (how many signs, maximum square footage, and height), limits animated/portable/off‑site signs, and imposes strict rules for electronic/digital displays (brightness, timing, and anti‑animation). Most common neighborhood and storefront signs are permitted subject to the district table and a sign permit from the Community Development Director; commercial highway and business‑park sites have special program and digital rules. Key sections to read are § 6.04.38, § 6.04.3855, § 6.04.3893, and § 6.04.3895.

Information Gaps

• Complete Table III‑2 (Exhibit III‑1) rows for every single zoning district were not fully visible in the retrieved excerpts — recommend pulling the full Table III‑2 entry for the parcel’s zoning. Not found in retrieved materials (full table).
• Exact fee schedule, permit application forms, and submittal checklist (e.g., plan sheet sizes, structural calcs for a new freestanding sign) — Not found in retrieved materials. Verify with the City.
• The ordinance snippets reference other subsections (e.g., § 6.04.3820, § 6.04.3830) for temporary sign and construction sign details; full text of those subsections was not present in the excerpts. Verify in the complete municipal code.

Source References

• City of Fillmore Zoning Ordinance — Sign standards and purpose: § 6.04.38 (including § 6.04.3801) — excerpt file.
• General provisions, maintenance, measurement of sign area/height: § 6.04.3855 — excerpt file.
• Digital / on‑premises electronic message center rules: § 6.04.3893 — excerpt file.
• Sign regulations by zoning district and Table III‑2 (Exhibit III‑1): § 6.04.3895 — excerpt file(s).
• District tables and examples (RPD, CBD, CO, MPD, BP excerpts): Fillmore_ZoningCode (district rows and sign entries).
• Community Development Director authority (sign permits): § 6.04.0215(2) — excerpt file.

Retrieved passages

• Fillmore Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Fillmore Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Fillmore Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• CBC § 6.04.9610 (Section 6.04.9610) High relevance show source text
• Fillmore Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• CBC § 3893 (section and) High relevance show source text
• Fillmore Zoning Code High relevance show source text
• Fillmore Zoning Code High relevance show source text

Cited sections

• City of Fillmore Zoning Ordinance — Sign standards and purpose: **§ 6.04.38** (including **§ 6.04.3801**) — excerpt file. (§ 6.04.38)
• General provisions, maintenance, measurement of sign area/height: **§ 6.04.3855** — excerpt file. (§ 6.04.3855)
• Digital / on‑premises electronic message center rules: **§ 6.04.3893** — excerpt file. (§ 6.04.3893)
• Sign regulations by zoning district and Table III‑2 (Exhibit III‑1): **§ 6.04.3895** — excerpt file(s). (§ 6.04.3895)
• District tables and examples (RPD, CBD, CO, MPD, BP excerpts): Fillmore_ZoningCode (district rows and sign entries).
• Community Development Director authority (sign permits): **§ 6.04.0215(2)** — excerpt file. (§ 6.04.0215)
• Fillmore_ZoningCode.md

• Official Fillmore code library